Valve operating and locking means.



T. BEHAN.

VALVE OPERATING AND 100mm; MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-26. I916.

Pathted Aug. 14, 1917.

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THOMAS IBEI-IAN, OF ALIQUIPPA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE OPERATING AND LOGKIN G MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Application filed December 26, 1916. Serial No. 138,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Bin-IAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aliquippa, in the county of Beaver and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ValveOperating and Locking Means; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates broadly to the type of valves used in train pipesfor connecting the air brake systems of the several cars, and the objectis to provide improved looking and operating means for the valve whichmay be easily and inexpensively manufactured, yet which will be highlyefficient and durable.

IVith the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides incertain novel fea tures of construction and unique combinations of partsto be hereinafter fully described and claimed, the descriptive matterbeing supplemented by the accompanying drawing which constitutes a partof this application and in which:

Figure l is a transverse section of the floor of a railway car showingthe application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4; is a vertical transverse section on the plane of the line M ofFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the relation of parts when turning thevalve from the position shown in Fig. 1 to its other position.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 1 has reference tothe floor of a railway car and 2 designates the pipe line for the airbrakes. The line 2 is equipped with a horizontally elongated valve body8 having in one end a seat in which a ver tically disposed valve plug tis mounted, a nut or the like 5 being provided on the lower end of saidplug for holding it in operative position while its upper end extendsabove the body 3 and is formed with a vertical slot 6. A verticallyswinging valve operating arm 7 is flattened at one end and received inthe slot 6, said end being mounted on a pivot pin 8 which passes throughthe plug 4. as shown. The other end of the arm 7 is flattened horizontay to form a head. 9

to which the inner ends of a pair of transverse valve operating rods 10are connected for universal movement in any preferred manner. Theintermediate portions of the rods 10 project loosely through openings 11in hangers 12 which depend from the car while the outer ends of saidrods are equipped with suitable handles 13.

Carried by the end of the valve body 3 remote from the plug 4, is atransverse channel-shaped guide 14 disposed on the upper side of saidbody, the vertically swinging arm 15 of a locking member 16 beingpivoted at the center of said guide by a suitable pin or bolt 17 thefree end of said arm having a transversely elongated loop 18 preferablyof arcuate formation on its outer side as shown, said loop receivingloosely therein the valve operating arm 7.

By the construction described, the arm 7 when swung to either positionfor closing or opening the valve, carries with it the loop 18 and fallsby gravity to the lower end thereof as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3.In this position, the arm is below the pivot 17 of the locking member 16and thus the latter will effectively prevent vibration of the car fromshifting said arm so as to reverse the position of the valve. In orderto swing the arm in question from one position to another, it isnecessary first to force downwardly on the outer end of one of the rods10, the hanger 12 thereof then acting as a fulcrum so that the inner endof said rod raises and carries the arm to the upper end of the loop 18.A pull or push on the rod, as the case may be, will then simultaneouslyswing the arm 7 and member 16 to the reverse position as will be clearfrom Figs. 4 and 5. When this position is reached, the arm again dropsto the lower end of the loop and is thus locked against accidentalshifting.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,it will be clear that although the invention is of extremely simplenature, it will be highly etficient and durable. For these reasons, theconstruction shown and described constitutes the preferred form of thedevice but it is to be understood that within the scope of the inventionas claimed, numerous changes may be made without sacrificing theprincipal advantages. Also, it is to be observed that the use of thedevice need not be restricted to air lines of railway cars since it isequally applicable for the steam lines thereof and wherever such a valvemay be required.

I claim:

1. The combination with a vertically disposed valve, of an arm extendingtherefrom in a substantially horizontal direction and connectedtherewith for vertical swinging, and a vertically swinging lockingmember having an elongated loop in which the aforesaid arm is looselyreceived, said loop eX- tending above and below the pivot of the lockingmember and the arm being adapted to drop by gravity into the lower endof said loop to prevent accidental shifting.

2. The combination with a vertically disposed valve member, of anoperating arm extending in substantially a horizontal directiontherefrom and connected therewith for vertical swinging, a lockingmember having a vertically elongated loop loosely receiving said armtherein, the latter being adapted to fall by gravity to the lower end ofsaid loop, a horizontal pivot for said looking member to permit it toswing from one position to another when the arm is operated to turn thevalve member, an operating rod loosely connected with said arm andextending laterally therefrom, and a guide through which theintermediate portion of said rod passes, said guide serving as a fulcrumfor the rod to permit a downward thrust on the outer end thereof toshift its inner end upwardly to raise the arm to the upper end of theloop before swinging said arm from one position to the other.

3. The combination with a horizontally elongated valve body and avertically disposed valve member at one end thereof, of an operating armextending in substantially a horizontal direction from said valve memherand connected therewith for vertical swinging, a normally horizontal armpivotally connected with the other end of said valve body for swingingtransversely thereof, said arm having on its outer end a verticallyelongated loop receiving the operating arm loosely, and operating meansconnected with said operating arm.

4. The combination with a horizontally elongated valve body and avertically disposed valve member at one end thereof, of an operating armextending in substantially a horizontal direction from said valve memberand connected therewith for vertical swinging, a chaimel-shaped guidemember carried by the upper side of said valve body at the end thereofremote from said valve member, a normally horizontal arm pivoted at oneend within said guide at the center of the latter. the outer end of saidlast named arm having a vertically elongated loop receiving theaforesaid operating arm loosely therein, and operating means connectedwith said operatin arm.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS BEHAN.

Witnesses ROBERT D. BARRY, STEPHEN Howirrrwe.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

